Naruto: Shooting Star of Kumogakure
by Shazam10
Summary: In the mighty Kumogakure, within the great Land of Lightning, there is a shinobi. He is renowned among Kumo-nin as one of their greatest; cool, brilliant, skilled, polite (sortof), he is a prime candidate for the next Raikage. Yet, to the rest of the ninja world, he is secret, a member of Kumo's Anbu. What impact will he have over the plans of the Akatsuki? OC (Rewrite Complete)
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Naruto.

**Prologue**

**Land of Iron**

**Gokage Summit**

The Gokage and their aides each gazed upward to the spiraling face of their strange adversary, a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha. Mifune, Samurai General of the Land of Iron, spoke up, inquiring "What are you scheming?! What is Operation Tsuki no Me?"

Seating himself cross-legged, Madara answered "For that lengthy story, I'll need to sit myself down."

"What kind of plan is it?!" said Kankuro of Sunagakure, becoming frustrated.

To the irritation of all, Madara simply held up a finger. Then, his voice sinisterly calm, he replied "All shall become one with me, and result in a complete possession form that unites all!"

The room seemed to tilt, as if the impact of the Akatsuki's words was a physical thing. The Kage and their aides each felt the same shiver run down their spines.

Growling, Ohnoki, the Fence Sitter of Tsuchigakure, asked in fearful confusion "Become one…? Unite all…? What do you mean?!"

With narrowed eyes, though none could tell, Madara continued "There is an ancient stone tablet passed down within the Uchiha clan. It still exists in a room underneath Konoha."

"Upon it are written secrets engraved by the Sage of Six Paths himself. They cannot be read without ocular powers. With the Sharingan, the Mangekyo, and the Rinnegan, respectively, more and more knowledge is progressively revealed."

"Your tale is becoming progressively fantastical. The Sage of Six Paths…?" spat the Tsuchikage.

"It is the truth," Madara asserted, "He did indeed exist. And he left this stone tablet behind."

Leaping from his perch above the floor of the meeting room, The Raikage of Kumogakure barked "You digress! What has the Sage of Six Paths have to do with your plan eh?!"

"Do you know why he came to be a legendary figure that is revered like a god of shinobi?" Madara said tonelessly. "That is where the link between that man and my purpose lies."

Speaking up for the first time in the discussion, Mei Terumi of Kirigakure murmured "...Uchiha Madara... you possess the Mangekyo Sharingan, and one of your other Akatsuki fellows possessed the Rinnegan. So you know all of the secrets, don;t you?"

"Let us Hear them." said Ohnoki, alighting next to the Raikage.

Madara nodded and resumed his tale "The sage once saved the world, from a certain monster…"

Curious, Gaara of the Sand whispered "Monster…?"

Turning his masked face to the Kazekage, the Uchiha addressed him "Gaara… you once held merely one piece of that monster sealed within you. He was the aggregate of all Biju… an existence that possessed almost infinite chakra…"

The ancient Uchiha paused for effect, and then said slowly, eerily "...Ten Tails."

If Madara's first declaration were a punch, the impact of this one upon the shinobi gathered round him was like an explosion.

"I thought the Biju only went up to Nine Tails?!" cried Temari in confused unease.

Coldy, Madara retorted "I just told you… he was an aggregate of ALL of the Biju."

"The nine current Biju, from One Tail to Nine Tails, are merely creatures containing Ten Tails' chakra split up… by the Sage of Six Paths' hand."

"For saving humanity, the Sage was revered like a god. But the Sage feared that upon his death, the seal would come undone and Ten Tails' immense chakra would re-emerge. So in his final moments, the sage of Six Paths used the last of his strength to partition Ten Tails' own chakra into nine pieces and scatter them all across the world. He sealed away the chakra-less body of monster and hurled into the sky, and it became the moon."

"This tale is ridiculous… what human can do such things?" drawled Darui, the Raikage's right hand.

"As Ten Tails' jinchuriki, the Sage of Six Paths had already advanced beyond the realm of humanity." answered the Uchiha.

Kankuro grimaced and said "So that's why the Akatsuki were collecting the Biju… I don't like where this is heading…"

"The Sage of Six Paths developed a certain ninjutsu in order to protect the world from the Ten Tails…" Madara continued, "... and that ninjutsu is still being secretly passed down to this day. It is the sealing jutsu process of jinchuriki. The Sage… was Ten Tails' jinchuriki. he sealed Ten Tails within himself to suppress the monster."

Mifune interrupted "So you're trying to reassemble those nine separated chakras… in other words, all of the Biju, and obtain that immense, inhuman power. I understand that. But… what are you planning to do with that power?"

"Revive Ten Tails!" exclaimed the strange shinobi, "and become its jinchuriki. I would then use that power to multiply my ocular powers, and launch a certain jutsu."

Shouting in frustration, the Tsuchikage asked "A certain jutsu?! What jutsu?! What are you plotting?!"

Slowly, Madara Uchiha gave him an answer, "A super genjutsu where i project my eye off of the moon's surface. An Infinite Tsukuyomi… All humans living on earth under my Genjutsu! By controlling them all, I shal unify the world!"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees with this statement. All felt the chill in their spines intensify tenfold, and their minds blank with shock.

"I will create a world with no bad blood, no wars. Everything will become one with me, and be united together," Madara drawled, "That is Operation Tsuki no Mei."

In his regular raging tone, the Raikage protested "Insane! I'm not handing the world over to you!"

"Peace that exists only as illusion is just that… an illusion!" Gaara interceded, "Peace is only meaningful when it is actually achieved for real."

"So what does exist inside such a genjutsu world?! There's no hope, no dreams! It's just an escape!" Mei Terumi added.

Sagely, the old Fence-Sitter gave his own input, "Unite the world eh… interesting that Danzo mentioned something similar, but your plan smacks more of you wanting to make the world yours and yours only than truly uniting the world."

With a sinister chuckle, Madara quipped "And what have you Gokage accomplished? You of all people should know this to be true… There is no hope!"

"To hope is equivalent to giving up, and is the biggest deception of all. So hand over the remaining two, Eight and Nine Tails, cooperate… or this is war."

"War?!" the Gokage barked simultaneously.

"Eight Tails?" Raikage Ay murmured in disbelief, "What do you mean?! You took Bee!"

"Eight Tails' capture failed and he escaped, now he is a shinobi who is perfect jinchuriki material… and he lives up to being your little brother." replied the Uchiha.

"Oh dear.." Darui muttered as his leader seemed to deflate, "So it was true… I did have a feeling it might be…"

"THAT FOOL!" Ay roared, "So he used this opportunity to get out of the village and play hooky, eh?! UNFORGIVABLE! I'll subject him to the IRON CLAW!"

Back to the point, the young Kazekage affirmed "I will not hand over Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Nor will I!" said Mei.

Eyes still on Madara, Ohnoki inquired "What about you, Raikage?"

"Of course I won't hand over my little brother!" he rumbled.

His demeanor chilling further, Madara Uchiha countered "I may not have strength, but I do have the powers of the seven other Biju that I have already collected. You have no chance of winning."

"Neither will we abandon our hope." Gaara shot back with narrowed eyes.

"Very well… then I hereby declare war on you all… The Fourth Great Ninja War."

Gasping, The Tsuchikage replied "The Fourth Great Ninja War?! You can't mean that!"

"I would never say such a thing in jest." said Madara, as he began to swirl away into oblivion, "We will next meet on the battlefield."

And so began the most Earth-shattering event to take place in the shinobi world… one the likes none had ever seen before. The powers of each of the great Shinobi nations would be heavily tested. Lives would be lost, by the hundreds, and even thousands. Good would make a final stand against evil. Order against Chaos. Politeness against… rudeness?

**Chapter One**

**Land of Lightning**

**Kumogakure**

**One Year Earlier**

"Hm…" mused the chunin in charge of mission assessment. The mission booklet outlined the requirements, assignment date, completion date, and assigned shinobi. Everything checked out, save for one thing…

"You broke a man's jaw, humerus, four fingers, and nearly ruptured several of his internal organs… because he used foul language?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

The man before him, standing without regard to posture, or seemingly authority even, gave a sigh and complained "I didn't break his fingers, he did when he attempted punching me."

"So you made him break his hand on something, broke his arm, and punched him a couple times?" said the chunin, hunting for the exact events, for procedure of course.

Sighing once more, the interrogatee muttered "No, he broke his widdle hand on my big mean cheekbone, so I snapped his arm, backfisted him in the face, and kicked him in the gut. All with merely the necessary force for self-defense, and to teach him a lesson."

Giving a sigh of his own, the chunin reprimanded "Mr. Mushoku, you are not only one of Kumo's proud jonin, but a member of its Anbu! Besides showing the self control of a shinobi, you are expected to remain indiscreet. Getting into a fight over profanity falls short of each of those!"

"There were kids and elderly folk there, he was being utterly rude. Should have taken his drunken rear-end home like a real man." retorted the jonin, adjusting his flak jacket.

"Hoshi…" the chunin breathed, temporarily slipping out of formality, "I know being respectful and polite is part of your shinobi way, but if incidents like this keep popping up for every simple intelligence mission, some kind of action has to be taken. I don't see why that needs to be, especially for a ninja like you."

Mushoku Hoshi, jonin ranked member of Kumogakure's Anbu Black-Ops, renowned within the village for his skills, yet an utter secret to the rest of the shinobi world, adjusted his black fingerless gloves and flak jacket once more, and asked nonchalantly "Will that be all?"

"Hm." said the chunin, shaking his head. "That will be all, Mr. Mushoku. I'll send this report to Lord Fourth."

With a flash and hiss of sparks, Hoshi was gone. In his place, the kanji for "Star" lay engraved on the floorboards. The chunin shook his head once more.

"Hmph, showoff. Real polite to just Body Flicker away and vandalize the floor." he grumbled, moving to fetch a broom.

* * *

><p>Trudging along the walkways and suspended bridges of Kumo, Hoshi puzzled silently over his life. He ignored his surroundings, the hustle and bustle of daily life in the powerful shinobi village. <em>I know I messed up.<em> he thought to himself. _I know I went both against my own nindo and even faith, but I couldn't help it. My stupid temper-_ he pondered further, until being tackled to the ground as he rounded a corner.

"Hoshi!" squealed a pair of young trainees, pinning him to the earth by his arms.

Sighing, he wheezed "Hey Enkei, Jinsoku. Sup?"

The two grinned down at him and replied "Practicing, as usual. Looks like we got you this time!"

"Oh?" Hoshi smirked, and, in a crackling flash, was no more. The two youths gaped in shock, and gasped as they were lifted off their feet by the collar.

"Takes a lot more than a couple jokers like you two to get me. Better luck next time?" Hoshi gloated, and let them down, resuming his stroll.

The youngsters followed at his heel, initiating their routine harassment of him, bombarding him with questions: "Hoshi where are you going?", "Hoshi how did you escape us?", "Hoshi can you teach us a super secret jutsu today?", "Hoshi where was your secret mission?".

The trio, not quite unnoticed, slowly edged out of the village limits and toward Storm Cloud Ravine. Hoshi's tails kept their chatter going throughout, rendering a continuation of his earlier train of thought impossible. As they came upon a stream punctuated clearing, Hoshi halted just in time to avoid a kunai impaling his foot.

A strange, yet familiar beeping noise elicited a growl from the jonin. "Tensai, what's the database say?" asked a voice just as familiar, one with an audible sneer sliding from every word.

More beeping and a second voice droned "Database identifies Mushoku Hoshi: Jonin rank, member of Kumo Anbu, age 20, six-foot-zero inches in height, one-fifty-five pounds in weight, unknown blood type, pale complexion, white hair with characteristic gold, lightning shaped streak. Known techniques include-"

"That'll be plenty." said the voice. A pair of men around Hoshi's age materialized on the other side of the stream; the taller one, dressed in a plain black body-suit, flak jacket, headband, sandals, and with dirty blonde hair pulled into a tail, continued "So, what do you suppose brings Mr. Bigshot here, Tensai?"

His shorter companion, dressed in a grey, sleeveless shirt, black shorts, sandals, irregular goggles stamped with the Kumo symbol over his eyes, and with a short black mohawk, answered snidely "Probably here to sulk and pout as usual, Iyashii."

Iyashii, grinning like a gavial closing in on its prey, inched forward "Instead of all that, why don't I welcome our old pal back from his mission with a friendly sparring match?"

Upon his advance, Osoi and Jinsoku leaped into a nearby tree, whilst Hoshi reached to his hips and thumbed the twin tanto at them from their sheaths, all three anticipating violence.

"Ah ah, none of that now. Hand to hand, and, just to make it interesting, how about the winner gets those famed blades of yours?" suggested the blonde nin mischievously.

Speaking for the first time during the exchange, Hoshi snorted and shot back "And for whatever reason would I wager my tanto, passed down from generation to generation in the Mushoku clan, on a five-second practice brawl?"

This sent Iyashii's eye atwitch with concealed fury, who answered civilly, but coldly "Because if you don't, I'll be taking them from your lifeless fingers anyway, so you might as well."

With a grin, the pale shinobi assumed a defensive position. "And what do I get when this reaches its inevitable conclusion?" he teased.

"Hmph!" Iyashii withdrew into his own stance, spitting "You get to live and keep your toothpicks. Enough mudslinging, time for your beating!"

Having followed the lead of the young trainees, Tensai called out from atop a nearby cliff "Ready?"

The two rivals were engulfed in lightning chakra, in the Hidden Cloud style of Nintaijutsu, their stances intensifying. Looking from one to the other, Tensai paused for effect, taking a breath and adjusting his goggles for better observation. And…

"Begin!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back! Yes, I've finally gotten around to rewriting these, and it feels good! I'll be updating semi-regularly now, so you can expect to see the adventures of Mushoku Hoshi to continue! Any and all reviews (mostly anyway) are appreciated, and please let me know of any mistakes I made if you spot them; hell, even suggestions are welcome. Please continue to enjoy!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter Two**

**Storm Cloud Ravine**

"Begin!"

A flash, and the crack of lightning-encased bodies crashing against each other. Hoshi and his rival were blue, sparking blurs, bouncing like pinballs against the each-other. If one didn't know the vicious nature of their battle, they would think it was an electrical demonstration. The only spectators there were not so ignorant.

"Whoa, they're really going at it, ain't they?" murmured Enkai.

Jinsoku climbed to a higher branch of the tree they were perched in and added "Yeah, it's like a deadly light show."

As the kids watched on, the participants began their own high speed dialogue. Leaping forward with a fierce roundhouse, Iyashii exclaimed "Those blades are mine, Mushoku!"

Hoshi merely ducked, gripping the leg as it went overhead and sent its owner through a swath of trees in a mighty throw. "Clearly." he jived.

Enraged, Iyashii clapped his hands together in the appropriate hand signs and roared "Futon: Kuuki Kama-Dan no Jutsu! Wind Release: Air Scythe Bullets technique!"

A barrage of razor sharp spheres of air erupted from his mouth, cutting down all the remaining trees (and boulders) between him and Hoshi. Narrowing his eyes, Hoshi lept into a series of backflips and pirouettes, weaving in and out of the lethal missiles.

Iyashii grew even more incensed, and let fly another round. His adversary whipped out a few of his own hand signs, muttering "If we're going there, then… Raiton: Ikazuchiryu no Jutsu! Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Technique!", and out of his own lightning aura formed an enormous, undulating dragon of electric chakra.

Thrusting his fist outward, Hoshi launched the dragon toward Iyashii, ripping through his volley of air bullets and crashing into him in an explosion of cobalt.

There was a moment of silence, prompting Hoshi to straighten up casually. Abruptly, however, Iyashii flew from the smoke, blazing blue, and impaled Hoshi on a Futon-extended kunai. Panting and haggard, he spat "Ha!

In the tree, the young academy students gaped in shock and horror at their role model's hunched over form. "Hoshi..." whimpered Jinsoku, as Enkai began to tear up.

Iyashii began to laugh triumphantly, but stopped when his opponent fell to the dirt, bleeding heavily.

"Hoshi get up, don't be a poor sport" he growled, glancing around nervously. The pale ninja remained motionless.

Enkai began to wail, Jinsoku screaming "Iyashii what did you do? You jerk!"

Horror began to grow on his face, and Iyashii tried shaking Hoshi. _Shit, I didn't think he'd take it! A missing Anbu will never go unnoticed!_. "Tensai, help me hide the body!"

"Hmph," he sniffed from atop a boulder, "how did you not see it coming, fool?"

Iyashii, confused, began to ask what he meant, when Hoshi's body crackled into nothingness, and he felt a blade at his neck.

"Had enough, Iyashii?" Mushoku Hoshi grinned slightly, standing behind the bewildered shinobi with one of his tanto positioned to slit his throat.

Shock, then realization, then anger, and finally submission flashed across Iyashii's visage, before he nodded. Hoshi sheathed his blade and offered him a hand. Giving him a glare, Iyashii slapped it away and stood. The two stood glaring at each other further, until Hoshi's opponent turned away with a huff. "Keep your damned toothpicks, Mushoku."

Shaking his head, Tensai hopped down to his comrade, affixing a glare at Hoshi as if to scan him further. Iyashii called to him, and he turned to follow.

Hoshi turned his head to the tree in which his young protege's were perched, whistling. They leapt down (Enkai stumbling), and began lauding him immediately.

"No, I can't teach you that technique; yes, it took me a long time to get that skilled; yes, I saw the stab coming; No! What makes you think that's even humanly, let alone for a shinobi, possible?!" The usual fare. Hoshi prepared to quiet them down, when an Anbu materialized next to them.

"Mushoku Hoshi, your presence is requested by Raikage-sama." was all he uttered before evaporating.

Giving the boys a quick look, Hoshi lept into the trees and toward the Raikage's forum.

* * *

><p>Hoshi arrived at the mountain fortress that was the Raikage's abode late in the afternoon, entering through one of the commonplace holes in its facade as a few Kumo-nin were repairing it. To find Lord Third, he simply had to follow the trail of gaping hollows in the walls. As he trudged through the fifth one, a familiar, dull voice addressed him.<p>

"Hoshi-san, it's pretty drab of you to just ignore the completely functional doors." sighed Darui.

Hoshi shook his head and grunted "Normally I'd be more polite, Darui-san, but the situation seemed urgent, from what the messenger relayed to me en-route."

"Well," Darui concurred, "urgent for you maybe. It all just seems drab to me."

Shaking his head further, Hoshi entered the office to a stone-faced Raikage being berated by an indignant Mabui. The Anbu that had summoned him stood in the corner, removing his mask, and revealing a fair haired, light skinned shinobi. Ay gestured for them to sit.

"Ahem," he began, partly to clear his throat, partly to silence Mabui, "Hoshi, Cee, the two of you are some of my most valuable ninja, the best our Anbu has to offer. Though the nature of your occupation is primarily secretive, Hoshi, your prowess has shattered that secrecy and risen into village wide fame. This is not a problem, as our rivals, Konoha primarily, don't know your identity. I am deeply grateful for each of your services. Notwithstanding…"

The leader of the now most powerful hidden village rose and looked into his subordinates' faces "Those services will no longer be required in Kumogakure's Anbu. You will both be reassigned."

At this Cee began to protest, while Hoshi merely raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I know this may be distressing to one or both of you, but the reassignment is out of necessity." Raikage assented. "Due to certain events, which you both should know, there are positions that need to be filled, and a shortage of qualified nin with which to fill them. You two are the cream of the crop."

Cee interjected "Lord Fourth, much has happened in the recent years yes, but what specifically requires draining forces from our already thin Anbu?"

Ay looked about the room, as if anyone could be listening in on their discussion. He cued Mabui and Darui to close the door, and said in a low voice "An organization known as the Akatsuki is causing chaos in several nations. They have kidnapped the Kazekage, Gaara, of Sunagakure. His being a jinchuriki draws suspicion that the organization is hunting their power, and has prompted me to hide Bee out of caution. With him confined under supervision within the village, I have no tag-team partner, and only have Darui to aide me in emergencies. Despite his skills, I require more aide.

"Cee, I have observed that your skills would be quite useful in that position. Henceforth, you will be my left hand." he proclaimed with finality.

Cee was silent momentarily, but nodded his agreement, seemingly satisfied with his new job. Hoshi raised his hand in confusion.

"What?" Ay growled, unable to ever keep a hint of aggression from his tone.

Lowering his hand meekly, Hoshi wondered "Raikage-sama, forgive me, but you have failed to mention my reassignment, nor the position that recent events has evacuated."

The Raikage glared at him, electricity buzzing in his hair out of irritation, before he grumbled "I was getting to that, Mushoku. Despite your useful skills in most fields, I decided they weren't being put to their full potential in the Anbu, where you're essentially sneaking around and spying or assassinating. I feel that, being obviously more aligned toward combat, you should be reassigned to the role of a soldier. After your next mission, you start as a regular jonin, and will most likely be charged with a team of academy graduates to educate."

Hoshi raised his hand again.

"Ugh," Ay growled, "what now?"

His pale underling lowered his hand again and murmured "You said _after_ my next mission, Lord Fourth. That implies I will still be classed as Anbu, and that it is an Anbu-related mission."

At this the Raikage grinned slightly, and chuckled "Always astute and analytical. Yes, I have one more mission for you as Anbu, concerning the Kazekage's kidnapping. You see, intelligence on Konoha indicates that they are planning on dispatching a rescue team, in response to Suna's distress call. It bodes a brewing alliance between the two, so I want you to watch Konoha, and tail the rescue team through to the completion, or failure, of their mission. Report back to me what info you gather."

"Yes, Lord Raikage." Hoshi and Cee rose to leave. Before walking out, Ay called to Hoshi.

"As always, you must not be seen. If you are discovered… I prefer not to deal with prisoners."

Hoshi nodded, and the Raikage was alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Land of Fire<strong>

_Swish!_

Hoshi alighted on a tree branch, lowering himself to a knee. He threw back the hood of his cloak, and pulled aside his falconish Anbu mask to gaze out over Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It had only taken him about five days at his leisurely pace to reach it, and now he stood overlooking the home of the Fire Country's finest nin from above the Hokage monuments.

"Hm..." he hopped across a few trees for a better angle. From his new vantage, he spotted the red "fire" symbol that indicated the Hokage's forum.

"Aha." Hoshi grinned, and pulled his mask back on, using the internal telescopic eyes to zoom in. Hunting for a hint, he spotted Lady Tsunade herself through a window, addressing a group of Konoha-nin in her office.

Running his hands through a few signs (dog, boar, ram), Hoshi barked "Henge no Jutsu! Transformation Technique!" and poofed into a peregrine falcon. With a screeching call, he dove for the Fifth's office.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back! Yes, I've finally gotten around to rewriting these, and it feels good! I'll be updating semi-regularly now, so you can expect to see the adventures of Mushoku Hoshi to continue! Any and all reviews (mostly anyway) are appreciated, and please let me know of any mistakes I made if you spot them; hell, even suggestions are welcome. Please continue to enjoy!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Land of Fire**

**Konohagakure**

**_Kreeee!_**

Falcon-Hoshi screeched into the Konoha air, zeroing in on the window to the Hokage's office. He swooped down to perch on a tree branch just outside, cocking his head to gaze within.

"Milady, they've arrived. Shall I let them in?" said a dark haired woman towing a small pig, possibly an assistant.

"Yes, Shizune-san, send them in." replied the blonde woman cloaked in green at the desk, who's head lay propped up on her arm as she went over forms.

The door was opened, and a truly odd group of people were ushered in. Three young shinobi, two boys and a girl, and in front an older man, grinning like it was a holiday.

_Must be a Jonin squad, the guy in front being the leader/sensei._

The man in front, a tall fellow clothed in a green jumpsuit and Konoha flak jacket, sporting a bowl cut hairdo and preposterous eyebrows, bellowed "Lady Hokage! You caught us in a bout of fierce training! What could possibly be so important as to halt the self improvement of these youths?"

If one could see the hidden falcon prying in on their dialogue, they could swear it was wincing. _Talk about dramatic…_

Tsunade _hmphed_, and replied "Funny you should ask. Of course you know of the kidnapping of the Kazekage, Guy?"

The man, Guy, nodded the affirmative "Indeed I do, for it is nigh impossible for anything to slip under the notice of Might Guy!"

_I must be that "nigh" part then._ Hoshi chuckled inwardly.

"Well, I've sent your Eternal Rival and his students on a joint retrieval mission with Suna, and though they are highly competent, these Akatsuki jokers make me nervous." Tsunade let that sink in.

What seemed to be almost an exact clone of the Guy fellow spoke up, "You wish us to lend assistance, correct?"

Another young man, wearing white and clearly a member of Konoha's Hyuga clan, whacked the teen in the neck "Quiet, Lee. Let her Ladyship finish."

Tsunade _hmphed_ again. "I'm giving you an identical mission to Team Kakashi."

She stood and looked at them, all business, "Join them in Suna, and see that they complete their assigned task. Understood?!"

She exerted some chakra with the last word, causing small cracks to form on her coffee cup and the window nearest her. While the younger ninja before her stepped back nervously, Guy laughed, hooking a thumb toward himself.

"Roger! You can count on the Power of Youth!"

Outside, if a falcon could sigh, Hoshi would have. _And now I have to follow them. All the way to Sunagakure._

Flapping off, Hoshi cried shrilly and soared to the main gate of the village.

* * *

><p><strong>Near Land of Wind's Border<strong>

Burning white hot in the sky above the forest path, the sun beat down heavily upon the backs of the Konoha quartet, and between the two, a lone falcon pulled its limbs in for a dive into the canopy.

_It's not gonna cause me chakra exhaustion, but I think I'll take a rest from this form._ Hoshi mused, reverting to his lanky true shape with a _poof_ of smoke. Then, covering his sweat pores and soles with a cushion of chakra, he concealed his smell and noise making potential as best he could.

Team Guy were slowing to a rest stop underneath, The girl, who's name Hoshi found out earlier was Tenten, doubled over and panting.

"We've… hah… been running… gah, all day. We need rest!" Tenten managed to choke out between ragged breaths.

Lee spoke up ahead of her "You're out of shape, Tenten."

Just as she began to inflate with a retort, the young man named Neji snapped to attention to a rustling patch of foliage, where a small dog sprouted abruptly.

Guy skidded to a stop, as the dog, a ninken from its hitai-ate, shouted "Guy, wait!".

"Pakkun," Guy acknowledged him, "what is it? Has Kakashi fallen?"

The canine shook its head, growling "Me and the rest of the pack are tracking. I just happened to run into you. Listen, I'll fill you in."

The pale Kumo nin hidden in the canopy tuned his Anbu mask auditory receiver to a higher volume, absorbing the information. _So,_ Hoshi pondered, _The Akatsuki _are _seeking out Jinchuriki, and seem to be entirely comprised of missing nin. There might even be a Hidden Cloud or two in there. Curiouser and curiouser…_

Pakkun concluded his story, "As Kakashi ordered, we eight ninja dogs fanned out in all directions and followed the Akatsuki's scent.

"And," he slowed down, as if to emphasize the importance of this last part, "we found out they were heading to the Land of Rivers, located between Konoha and Suna.

"That means that you guys coming from Konoha and heading toward Suna are closest to the Akatsuki." he finished. Then scratched his ear with his hind foot.

Lee seemed to take this in carefully, softly murmuring "I see…"

Their ninken comrade leapt from his perch on a boulder, barking "Follow me. I'll explain the details on the way."

Guy grinned, pumping a fist upward for apparently no reason, and shouted "Okay everyone! Move out!"

Hoshi leapt, popping through the treetops as a falcon once more, and flapped a few times to adjust to their speed.

_Now they'll lead me to the rescue team, the so called Team 7. As long as no complications arise, this should bear a hefty crop of information, and be easy peasy to boot._

* * *

><p>The terrain shifted slowly from forest to rocky desert as the Konoha-nin (and their tail) drew nearer to Wind than Fire. A short distance in, and Pakkun sniffed loudly. Hoshi couldn't catch what was said next, but he noticed Neji activating his All Seeing Eye, and shout "Behind us!" urgently.<p>

Out of the ground, what looked like a bandaged fin sprouted and sped closer and closer to them. Upon reaching them, a huge cloud of sand burst from the point of impact, scattering the shinobi to higher perches. The dust cleared slowly, revealing…

_Hm, if my bingo book is correct, that's Hoshigaki Kisame. Ugh, he looks even worse than his photo in the book._

The falcon that was Hoshi swooped in lower for a better look, and better hearing.

"Do you know him, Guy-sensei?" said Lee.

Guy paused for a moment, and solemnly said "... who?"

"I guess the Strange Beast is as dumb as he looks. Well, I'll make sure you remember soon enough!" Kisame snarled.

The air trembled as his chakra level rose. Neji started, mumbling "This guy… has an incredible amount of chakra. I've never seen anyone but Naruto with this much… so this is the Akatsuki?"

Kisame chuckled, then, with a simple flick of his wrist, _tossed_ the enormous sword Samehada into the air, rocketing past the altitude Hoshi currently soared in.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha! Water Exploding Shockwave!" the shark-skinned Akatsuki roared, and unleashed a fountain of water so enormous Hoshi struggled to avoid it.

Samehada fell back into his hand, and, now in his element, he surfed the wave towards the bewildered Leaf shinobi. "Here I come!"

Catching Guy off guard, he began to bring the unusual blade around to cut him in half, but was stopped when- "Leaf Rising Wind!" Lee caught his arm with an upward kick. Before he could recover, Neji rushed forward with an Air Palm, pummeling him off of his feet.

Just as he managed to grind to a halt, a bomb from Tenten seemingly blew him sky high. Retracting her scroll, she muttered "No luck, he got away.", glaring at the empty puddle where he'd stood.

Meanwhile, Hoshi perched on a nearby dune, tired of navigating the fluctuating air currents. _These Konoha-nin are no joke. Neither is that shark dude, though. If he ends up killing them, I might not be able to locate Team 7, and that means…_

Just then, Kisame re-appeared, resting the tip of his weapon on the water's surface.

"Water style ninjutsu, with that huge sword… you're…" Guy said slowly.

Kisame grinned "It took you long enough to remember-"

"I feel like I've met you before…"

Kisame growled, "You really know how to play dumb. I'll just have to rip you up until you remember!"

Hoshi fluttered his wings anxiously. _Crap, it looks like he's about to get serious. I don't want to have to intervene, but I can't let a lead this good get killed…_

The two suddenly clashed, exchanging blows almost faster than the eye could see. When it looked like the Konoha shinobi had him…

"Suirō no Jutsu!" Kisame shouted, as each of the water clones he'd created a moment before enclosed the young ninja in a bubble of water, leaving Guy to battle him alone.

He began to run to them, protesting "Lee! Neji! Tenten!", but was stopped by Samehada, held at his chest.

Kisame grinned, "You're better than I thought, little brats. Now, we can do this _one on one_!"

He brandished his sword, his razor-toothed leer spreading wide. "This giant sword, Samehada, only I am allowed to wield it. It will soon taste your chakra, and rend your stupid flesh!"

Guy narrowed his eyes, and with a swift movement he wielded his own weapon: nunchaku, whirling them intimidatingly. Kisame's grin somehow grew even wider, as he roared "Alright! The moment has come!"

His chakra erupted, causing the water under their feet to ripple chaotically. Even on the dune Hoshi watched from, sand was blown away in a stinging spray. _It's looking more and more dismal… if things get much worse, I may have to break mission parameters…_

Hoshi knew he was only supposed to watch and gather info, but he couldn't let something bad happen. Yes, them getting killed would be an inconvenience to his mission, but not a crucial failure. Yet… Hoshi couldn't let them just die. He was loyal to his village, diligent, he followed the rules… but he did not allow good people to be slaughtered. _It would be beyond impolite… it would be inhuman._

His train of thought broke when it happened. Samehada came down hard onto Guy's nunchaku, the force of the blow creating huge walls of water around them. Kisame then pounded the Green Beast down under the surface, eliciting a pained yelp and a spurt of blood. His students cried out in protest.

Following up to the punch, Kisame barked "Goshukazame: Five Feeding Sharks!". From his hand spewed five sharks composed of water, diving down to Guy and swirling around him in a frenzy.

_That's it, I'm done watching! Henge no-_ Hoshi began to shout, but was interrupted by a burst of chakra that sent him reeling.

The water Guy had been floating helplessly in was gone, and he stood before Kisame defiantly, skin red, eyes piercing white, chakra visibly pulsing from him. _What the…_

His team burst from their prisons at that moment, obliterating their incarcerators. Lee looked to Guy, who had launched his opponent into the air and followed him, engaging a crane stance. "That stance…"

Kisame attempted to retaliate with a side slash, but was too slow, and received a lightning-quick kick to the face for his trouble. Lee grinned as he watched. "Game over."

"Asa Kujaku!" Guy rapidly battered Kisame with sonic punches, so fast and powerful they ignited the very air, creating a large fan of fireballs behind his victim.

In wonder, Hoshi thought _That's why it's called the Morning Peacock. So this is the power of the Hachimon, the Eight Inner Gates… I guess I can keep my cover a while longer then._ Hoshi would have sighed with relief if he weren't a bird of prey. It would have been disappointing to have to ruin his last Anbu mission.

Guy and his team moved in to expect what was left of Kisame, and were shocked at their discovery. Hoshi soared overhead to see what the big deal was. _Hm... a substitute. I thought there was something off. He was strong, but not nearly as much as what his bingo book ranking says._

"Sensei, who is it?" asked Tenten, so disturbed by the discovery she held a fistfull of kunai at the ready.

"He's from Suna. It must be Henge no Jutsu, but how could he mimic those techniques so well?" Guy said, incredulous.

Neji looked over him with his Byakugan slowly. "No, he was controlled somehow."

"Puppetry, perhaps?" Lee wondered.

Neji shook his head. "I would have seen chakra strings, and the puppeteer would have to be close by to control him, yet he was the only enemy within my radius."

Guy hmm'ed, then pivoted around to face the trio. "I feel that we will find the answer by pushing forward! Pakkun, lead the way!"

Pakkun, who Hoshi had no idea how he'd survived that literal torrent of jutsu, pounced forward, nose twitching. Tenten gave an exasperated whine about more exercise, and they were off. Trilling into the desert air, Hoshi followed.

_I hope they hurry up and find them, and that this mission finishes soon. I'm getting weary of being a falcon._

* * *

><p><strong>Land of Rivers<strong>

A small clearing. A large pool of water, in front of a stone wall. There is an opening, sealed by a large stone, and a large torii stands proudly over it. Three shapes blur into the clearing, landing on the water's surface, creating small ripples.

On Lee's shoulder, Pakkun grunts "Gaara is beyond this rock."

"What's it look like, Neji?" Tenten asked.

Hoshi inwardly frowns from his roost on a nearby tree branch, as Neji mutters something, clearly confused. Lee pipes up, "Neji-kun, what is happening behind the rock?"

"It's hard to explain…" he muttered.

Abruptly, Guy-sensei charged toward the rock, smashing his fist into it powerfully… and lowering his eyebrows at the lack of reaction. "A barrier?"

"What are we gonna do?" said Lee.

Guy looked to him. "First we have to break this barrier Hey Lee…"

Tenten interrupted "But how?"

Guy looked like he was about to give her a dramatic solution, when several shapes zipped into the clearing with them. "It's a Five Seal Barrier!" one said.

The shapes landed in front of Team Guy, revealed to be a group of shinobi: A tall, thin, white haired man, half of his face masked; a teenage kunoichi with pink hair; an older kunoichi, clearly from Suna, while the others wore Konoha forehead protectors; and a blonde young man, wearing a black and orange jumpsuit, with strange whisker markings on his face.

"You're late, Kakashi." said Guy.

"Well you see, we ran into a little trouble along the way." said the masked man.

Lee brightened at their arrival. "Naruto, Sakura!"

_Them…_ Hoshi thought, falcon eyes narrowed at them as if they were mice. _They're my targets, the rescue team. But… I didn't expect this. Kakashi of the Sharingan, and the members of his infamous Team 7. How did I forget?_ These thoughts raced through Hoshi's mind while the group chattered amongst themselves.

_That old lady is Suna, and she's clearly working with them. Lord Fourth is right, an alliance looms. If they successfully aid in saving the Kazekage, a powerful bond will be forged. I must see this mission through to it's finish… but I think things are about to get exciting again._

"Ok, Kakashi, let's do this!" Guy loudly spouted. Kakashi nodded in agreement, "Yeah!"

_Here we go, the Akatsuki's lair. Let's see just what the'yre made of, and what their plans are._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back! Yes, I've finally gotten around to rewriting these, and it feels good! I'll be updating semi-regularly now, so you can expect to see the adventures of Mushoku Hoshi to continue! Any and all reviews (mostly anyway) are appreciated, and please let me know of any mistakes I made if you spot them; hell, even suggestions are welcome. Please continue to enjoy!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter Four**

**Land of Rivers**

**Akatsuki Hideout**

Several dark figures stand idle upon two enormous hands, looking all the world like little claws; they might as well be the behemoth's claws, considering their purpose. All but two are merely illusions. One that stands in front of them, radiating almost godlike presence, speaks.

"Sasori, Deidara… see to our guests. They're yours, except for the jinchuriki. Bring him to me alive. The rest of you are done here." said the illusion.

One of the pair that are there physically, a man hunched over with a cloth over his mouth, rasps "Itachi, about the jinchuriki… what kind of host is this Naruto?"

Uchiha Itachi pauses. The illusion that spoke first glances at him, eyes just as unique as the ex-Konoha nin. "Tell them."

Another pause, and Itachi replies "He is… the one who bursts in and barks first."

"Huh?" says the hunched over man, the man known as Sasori of the Red Sand, "What do you mean?"

His associate, Deidara, adds "Can't you give us more to work with, hmm?"

Before canceling the jutsu allowing them to communicate, Itachi mutters "There is one more out there, one unseen by the rest." and fades away.

Sasori narrows his eyes with a "Hmph" as the rest of the Akatsuki billow out of sight behind Itachi. The leader mutters "I'll be waiting for you," and leaves the artful duo in solitude… for now.

* * *

><p><em>Poof<em>, Pakkun dispersed in a ball of smoke after a brief farewell. "All right! Kakashi, our first order of business is this barrier, how do we get past it?" said Guy, more dramatically than necessary.

"A five seal barrier is established by placing five talismans in the nearby area. A single character, Forbidden, is inscribed on each. One of these is right in front of us, leaving four others. Until we peel them all off, there's nothing we can really do about the barrier." the Copy Ninja clarified.

Turning to his sensei, Naruto asked "Well, where are they? the other four I mean."

All eyes turned to Neji. "I got it." he grunted, slapping a handsign as veins bulged around his blank eyes. "I see them."

As Neji described their coordinates, Mushoku Hoshi kneeled horizontally on one of the trees at the edge of the clearing, utilizing his cloak to absorb any sunlight that might reveal him. "Crap…" he murmured, "No way I can avoid his all seeing eye for much longer. I barely managed it from flying a hundred or so feet above them, and my Anbu cloak isn't going to fool those peepers every time."

Luckily…

"All right! They're all within wireless range!" spouted Konoha's Green Beast, brandishing wireless communicators. "Take these, Neji will guide us straight to the talismans!"

_Hm… maybe his obnoxious impulsiveness is just as much of a blessing as a pain in the-_

"TEAM GUY! LET"S GO FORWARD WITH THE POWER OF YOUTH! SCATTER!" Guy bellowed, bursting from the clearing.

_Sigh… and maybe if I wish upon a star I'll attain enlightenment. Well, now that they're gone, let's see what Team 7 does._

Already tuned in to frequency 174 upon Guy's mention of it, Hoshi listened to their progress as Kakashi sprung onto the giant rock, gripping the talisman. In a matter of seconds, everyone was in position. Ninja tend to work fast.

"So to break in, I'm thinking we'll need a switch hook entry." Kakashi called down to Sakura, who stood at the ready in front of the boulder.

_Here we go, let's see what the Akatsuki are up to so I can go home. I'm getting bored with this mission._

"Here I come!" Sakura growled, rushing at the boulder at Kakashi's command… and shattering it like glass with a single punch.

"Holy shit…" Hoshi muttered in awe, privately breaking his composure, "she's as strong as Lord Fourth…"

The three ninja of Team 7 plus Lady Chiyo hopped swiftly into the now open cavern, prompting Hoshi to pull down his mask and activate it's zoom function to see within. Inside, things… didn't look too great.

Two men cloaked similarly to Kisame, Hoshi assumed were Akatsuki, stood over the still form of Suna's Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand. Along with some weird bird thing Hoshi didn't know what the hell was.

_Ill tidings,_ he thought. _If they turn out to be trouble, I might have to interfere for more reason than to preserve their lives._

The robed man to the left, with blonde hair, grinned at the arrival "Now, let's see…. which one is the jinchuriki host? Hmmm?"

Hoshi felt a hint of burning, hateful chakra as Naruto barked "You! You're dead meat!"

"That would be him then." said the hunched over man to the right. "Looks like it…" his comrade affirmed. Within his mask, Hoshi identified them via digital bingo book: Deidara, missing-nin of Iwa, and Sasori, missing-nin of Suna.

_Rumors of the organization being made up of rogue shinobi seem to be accurate. What else will this little meet reveal?_

Naruto bristled further, shouting out "Gaara! Why are you just lying there?! GET UP!"

The former jinchuriki was still. _They didn't…._

"Hey, Gaara are you deaf?!" Naruto began, but was interrupted by Kakashi.

"Naruto, that's enough. You know full well." he said somberly.

Silence pervaded, punctuated by that eerie chakra, sending shivers down Hoshi's spine. _What is that? I've never felt anything quite like it. Could it be that kid?_

And then Deidara made it worse. "Indeed. I should think you'd know… that he's already dead. Hmmm?

The chakra spiked, eliciting an actual shiver from the pale shinobi. _He's done it now. This has to be that fox…_

"Give him back…" Naruto snarled, baring his teeth. The Akatsuki merely stared at him.

"Give me Gaara! You stinking…!" Naruto charged them. A swift movement, and his sensei stood in the path between them.

"Cool it. Charge in without thinking, and you'll get us all killed." he hissed.

The two Akatsuki had a short, yet heated exchange of words. _Are they arguing over… art?_ Hoshi wondered.

Suddenly, Naruto produced a huge shuriken, hurling it at the pair furiously… only for it to be deflected by Sasori, with a strange tail mechanism. Without looking. _Jeez, they're good._

Another curt exchange, and Deidara had his weird bird thing swallow Gaara, and hopped on as Sasori irritably lashed out at him with his tail. Predictably, Naruto gave chase, Kakashi on his tail.

Sprinting across the water, the masked nin called out "Naruto and I will handle the guy outside. Sakura and Granny Chiyo, you deal with this creep."

With that, the duo jumped back to the clearing.

* * *

><p>Hoshi nudged his mask back up as the weird bird thing (he was thinking about shortening it to W.B.T.) hovered in front of the big torii arch, where Hatake Kakashi and his student stood.<p>

Atop his bird, Deidara called down to them "Kakashi of the Sharingan, you wanna come after me? Hmm?"

"I'm sure I shouldn't say this, but Sasori is stronger than I… probably… yeah."

Naruto growled "Master, please, go help Sakura. _I'll_ rescue Gaara."

Deidara smirked. "Hmph. And what about you in the tree? Will you join in?"

Hoshi froze. "... eh?"

Deidara laughed with a hateful sneer, "What, you thought you were being sneaky? we were informed of your presence before these buffoons even broke in. Get out here, be a man."

_Damn… what to do? Abort mission, or see it through to the end, as instructed?_ he debated internally. With a shrug, he materialized on the water's surface below.

On the torii, the pair of Konoha-nin had varied reactions: Naruto was clearly taken aback, Kakashi _hmphed_. "I wondered who that could've been." he chuckled.

_How annoying…_ "Well, are you gonna tell me how you did it or no?"

Kakashi seemed to smile (Hoshi couldn't tell for the mask) and replied "I was Anbu once too, plus I had a lil help from this baby," pointing to his left eye.

Deidara crossed his arms smugly "A friend with a similar gift informed us. Now, where were we… oh yes!" Swinging his arm in an arc, he flung a brace of clay birds at them all, retreating before any could react.

While the Leaf evaded or parried in their own way, Hoshi sighed, raising a handsign and nullifying the missiles with Raiton Armor. "I mean, I have an obvious Cloud flak jacket, it's not hard to assume… nevermind." He and the other two leapt into pursuit.

Ahead, Deidara _hmmed_. "Seems I might get a nice head start and-" he started to say, before an enraged Naruto clone smashed him into a cliff wall.

"You're not taking Gaara!" he roared, forming his hand into a vicious claw behind him.

Raising his eyebrow, Deidara declared "You are quite the oddball. A jinchuriki is supposed to be sullen and misanthropic… hmmm? and this Gaara is no less strange. I've never seen a host so beloved as he."

Naruto clenched his fist as Deidara continued. "To date we've destroyed two jinchuriki, not including him of course. But no one ever tried to save them. Not their friends, not their neighbors, not a soul… hmmm?"

_Ugh, that verbal tic is really starting to get on my nerves…_ Hoshi thought, gritting his teeth. _But the information is still valuable._

"In fact," Deidara went on, "to some their deaths came as a relief. Heheheh. Perhaps you can't ignore one of your own kind? You feel to connected to this pathetic creature? _Hmmm?_"

_Nope. That's it. Nope, nope, sorry, but I'll have to work on the temper thing another day._

Before he could go any further, Hoshi shouted "Pardon me, jackass, but I'm getting so tired of this vexatious monologue, and that infuriating tic of yours, that I'm just gonna have to cut you short."

Shocked silence. Hoshi recommenced, "All hateful, ignorant, and disrespectful comments you've made aside, you're a member of a criminal organization, and have confessed to kidnapping and murder. It's not exactly my mission, but I'm going to take you in. Whether that involves kicking your ass and/or killing you is entirely up to you."

Deidara actually seemed to consider. And then an explosion threw Naruto off of him, allowing him to retake to the air. Snarling bitterly, the orange clothed ninja and Kakashi followed him into the woods above the clearing. Hoshi sighed, unsheathed his blades, and followed suit.

* * *

><p>"So, Kakashi of the Sharingan. Pleased to meet you." Hoshi breathed.<p>

The three of them were currently engaged in the activity of chasing after their Akatsuki quarry, branch-hopping like mad men.

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "The pleasure is mine, though weren't you kind of… spying on us?"

"Yeah, what was up with that? and who are you?" Naruto blurted.

Hoshi shrugged as he threw a few shuriken to catch some of Deidara's spider-bombs. "Well, a mission is a mission, and I'm not allowed to answer that. Technically, I'm supposed to kill anyone who discovers me." At this Naruto produced an audible _Ulp!_

The Copy Ninja attempted to catch Deidara with a weighted net, and countered a clay snake whilst it missed "Yes, but the current situation takes priority. We'll settle this afterward. I'm going to try something, so you might want to stay back."

His Sharingan began to spin, until it formed a new pattern. _What is that?_ Hoshi pondered. _I thought there was just one Sharingan pattern?_

"Kamui!" shouted the Copy Ninja, and the spot his gaze was trained on began to distort in a swirling mirage. Before Deidara could react in time, the distortion constricted, and his arm was gone.

"Aaaagh!" "Ugh…" said the combatants simultaneously, as Kakashi covered his eye.

_That must be terribly draining…_ Hoshi thought, whilst another attempt by Kakashi was effortlessly dodged this time. "You ok, Kakashi-san? maybe you should keep that in reserve." he said.

Kakashi nodded, and seemed to grin reassuringly to Naruto, who scrutinized him worriedly. "This eye takes a lot more chakra than you think, especially with my… eh…" he began to say.

Smirking, Hoshi ensured him "Don't worry, I get it. Secret technique, foreign ninja. Say, why don't we wrap this up, eh? I don't know about you but I decided several trees ago that just tailing him wouldn't do any good."

"Yeah, let's hurry up and kick his ass!" Naruto barked, and bolted forward suddenly, forming a clone.

"I didn't mean just jump in without a strategy…" Hoshi complained.

Chuckling, Kakashi muttered "That's just Naruto for you, leaping without looking. You use Raiton, correct? What say you that we back him up with a coordinated technique?"

Hoshi gave a brief nod, forming Raiton armor just as they hopped into position. While Naruto and his clone severed the head from the W.B.T., the other two came in at his flanks for a pincer.

"Raikiri!" Kakashi growled, plunging his chakra-engorged hand through Deidara's chest, Hoshi cleaving him in two with a Raiton enhanced chop from his tanto.

"Hmph" Hoshi muttered, landing on a branch and observing the clay on his blade. _Clay substitute._ On an opposing branch, Kakashi shoved the rest of it from his arm with his foot. At the sound of struggle below, they both dropped down to assist.

Naruto was pummeling the hell out of Deidara's face. In a fury, he formed a Rasengan, smashing it into his victim's chest.

"A substitution, man." Hoshi called to him. Naruto didn't seem to hear him, and the Kumo-nin began to repeat when it hit him again, that chakra.

A hot, bubbling, red, _angry_ aura formed around the orange clad teen, taking the shape of ears and a pair of tails. _That,_ Hoshi wondered in unsettled awe, _is some gnarly chakra_.

In a flash, however, it was gone- Kakashi stood with his palm firmly pressing a tag to his student's forehead. The chakra dissipated, and Naruto collapsed to a knee. A moment, and a pair of kunoichi appeared.

"Finally caught up with you." said the younger of the two, earlier revealed to be known as Sakura.

"How did you find us?" Kakashi asked her.

"We saw the enemy fly over. Who's this guy?" she gestured toward Hoshi.

Kakashi scratched his neck, "He's, ah… an acquaintance."

Before she could question further, the old Suna woman, Chiyo, spoke up, "It seemed as though you were having trouble over here."

"Sakura," Naruto smiled tiredly, "you guys did it…"

"Yes, but where is Gaara?" Chiyo said softly. Naruto glanced at the open mound of clay that held the Kazekage within. "Good." she lowered her head.

Hoshi had just been listening to the brief exchange from his perch absentminded, when the sound of clashing metal snatched his attention, along with everyone else's. _Guy and the others!_

They found the four of them attempting to wrangle Deidara in. The blonde Akatsuki landed by the remains of his clay bird, taking a bite.

"Everyone be careful!" Kakashi warned them, "He uses bombs to attack from afar!"

Hoshi cursed, picking up on the rising chakra level, "He's about to blow!"

"Kakashi-sensei, can you use that jutsu to stop him?" said Naruto frantically.

Focusing his sight on the rapidly expanding shinobi, Kakashi attempted the feat, but grunted in pain, covering his eye. "My chakra's all petered out from that last Lightning Cutter. We'll have to-"

"Kuchiyose! Summoning!" Hoshi roared, slamming his palm to the dirt. "Black Warrior Genbu!"

Just as the chakra smoke _poofed_, Deidara erupted in a cornea-searing flash.

* * *

><p>For a moment, Hoshi believed they were dead. <em>Ugh,<em> he mentally complained, _why does heaven smell like burnt wood… and turtles?_

He opened his eyes to see… the indignant face of a huge black tortoise. _Oh, it's just Genbu._

"Hoshi-san! What is the meaning of this? You summoned me into an explosion?!" Genbu whined.

Scratching his head apologetically, Hoshi muttered "Sorry pal, we were in a pinch. No need to complain though, that carapace of your's is nigh impenetrable."

Genbu clonked him over the head with a large foot. "Don't you use your big words on me! I was in the middle of an important meeting!"

Behind Hoshi, a few throats cleared to gain his attention. Turning, he grinned. "Oh, sorry guys, just a slight altercation between summoner and summon."

"Well, thanks for the save, I thought we were in for it there." Kakashi said, seeming to smile.

Neji scrutinized him intently "So you are the presence that followed us from Konoha. I wondered what that odd chakra was that changed form so often."

"He followed you all from Konoha?" Naruto interjected.

"Nevermind, is everyone ok?" said Kakashi abruptly. All chimed the affirmative.

Solemnly, Chiyo whispered "But what of Gaara?"

_Oh yeah…_ Hoshi dismissed Genbu quickly, before he could get more riled up, and assisted Naruto in retrieving the former jinchuriki. They hoisted him between them and carried him to a clearing. A quick peek over his shoulder revealed no sign of their assailant.

_Good riddance._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back! Yes, I've finally gotten around to rewriting these, and it feels good! I'll be updating semi-regularly now, so you can expect to see the adventures of Mushoku Hoshi to continue! Any and all reviews (mostly anyway) are appreciated, and please let me know of any mistakes I made if you spot them; hell, even suggestions are welcome. Please continue to enjoy!<strong>


End file.
